Govt to issue lease tenders of two heritage hotels by March

The Rajasthan government will issue tenders for the lease of two heritage hotels– Khasa Kothi in Jaipur and Anand Bhawan in Udaipur--by March, a top official said on Wednesday.

“The requests for the proposal for the two properties are being finalised and by March, tenders will be issued,” state chief secretary Nihal Chand Goel said.

The two properties are not being sold but are being given on lease on a public-private-partnership model for operating and maintaining for a period of 30 years, Goel said.

“The properties on lease will provide annual revenue to state government as the hotels are running in losses and not optimally utilised,” he said.

The government conducted a study by the School of Planning and Architecture, Bhopal to ensure that the heritage values of the properties are not tampered with.

The Hotel Jaipur Ashok, which in September 2017, was transferred to the government by the Indian Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC), will be also be run by the state government, Goyal said.

The state government had paid ₹14 crore to the ITDC.

There are more than 65 employees working at the Anand Bhawan and Khasa Kothi, with an annual financial liability of ₹3 crore, a senior official, who did not wish to be named, said.

The Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation (RTDC) is facing a debt of more than ₹ 154 crore, the official said, adding that the RTDC will not be able to function effectively if the liability continues to increase.

JAIPUR:

TOURISM DEPARTMENT TO LAUNCH MOBILE APP

Chief Secretary Nihal Chand Goel said, “To facilitate tourists coming to Rajasthan, the state tourism department will launch its official mobile application by June.” The government is making all possible efforts to increase tourist footfalls in the state, he said. “We are focusing on the demand and running aggressive media campaigns to attract more tourists.” In 2017, ₹ 60 crore was allocated and another ₹ 40 crore has been sanctioned for 2018, he said.

“In 2016, the state witnessed arrival of more than 4.30 crore tourists to the state, including domestic and foreign visitors.”